Lorenzen back at right time as UConn Huskies travel to South Florida

A quick glance at the numbers in Tyler Lorenzen’s return to the UConn football team’s lineup last week and it might be looked on with indifference.

Joe Perez

A quick glance at the numbers in Tyler Lorenzen’s return to the UConn football team’s lineup last week and it might be looked on with indifference.

His 7-for-15 night — good for 70 yards — might cause a lengthy yawn, but the Huskies wouldn’t have it any other way as they head into South Florida tonight to face the Bulls on national television.

Lorenzen is just happy to be back.

“I missed it so bad,” he said. “It sucked. It was terrible.”

The plan was to keep it simple and let the senior ease back into the saddle. After all, he had missed nearly two months with a broken right foot. In the four full games he missed, UConn went from ranked to losing three of four contests while barely staying alive in the race for the Big East crown.

It’s safe to say his teammates have missed his leadership, poise and the intangibles that come with an experienced quarterback.

“I don’t know, I couldn’t tell you,” Lorenzen said of the difference he makes. “Maybe they’re just used to me. The bottom line is I don’t know. Whatever it may be, as long as we win, I hope it keeps working.”

Lorenzen figured the worst-case scenario for his return would have been in whatever bowl game the Huskies play in late next month or in early January. But as he began to progress and perform drills without pain, his time table moved up to last week’s win at Syracuse.

Through extensive rehab for the injury and “pushing the envelope” with the training staff, Lorenzen returned ahead of schedule. He experienced no unusual soreness beyond what typically follows playing football and was comfortable enough that he had no trepidation once he returned to the field, which made him feel “alive again.”

Lorenzen’s return also infused life into a UConn team that has felt stagnant in recent weeks. With two important games left, the southpaw’s return couldn’t have come at a better time.

“It gives us confidence,” tailback Donald Brown said. “It helps us out a lot with the experience that he has. Experience is what sets people apart at this level. The more experience you have, the more successful you’re going to be.”

That’s what the Huskies are hoping for when they enter Raymond James Stadium, a place where they have yet to win — and neither time has the outcome been pretty.

But if anyone has experience in trying to stop multi-threat quarterbacks this season, it’s the Huskies. First there was Baylor’s Robert Griffin, then West Virginia’s Pat White. Stopping South Florida’s Grothe is the Big East’s leading passer and tops in all-purpose yards.

The junior enters the game with nearly 400 rushing yards, making him a serious threat to leave the pocket and eat up big yardage. In five games, he’s scrambled for at least 50 yards.

Priority No. 1 with Grothe is maintaining assignments to keep his wheels in check.

“With Pat White, we were more worried about him running the ball on us than passing; we wanted him to pass the ball,” senior Cody Brown said. “With Grothe, we’re worried about both. We have to stick to our keys and hope (defensive coordinator Todd) Orlando comes up with a good game plan this week.”